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Anne-Marie Petash, possibly the most highly qualified Pilates teacher in Ibiza, sharesthe top 5 benefits of Pilates as she experienced them. She welcomes you to enjoy the magic too – for plenty of empowerment in body and mind.

“I discovered Pilates through a friend of mine who danced with the Royal Ballet & had sustained an injury. She invited me along to her Pilates session in the late 1980’s with Alan Herdman in his studio in Marble Arch, London. I watched her receive the Pilates instruction through a series of controlled graceful movements, on some very alien looking equipment based on springs & pulleys that I had never seen before. And in my heart and my body…. I immediately knew that this was what I had been searching for.
After 2 months of doing Pilates 2- 3 times a week, I started to experience the amazing effects it was having on my body:

(5) I could see the effects of bulky muscles elongating & my flexibility increased tenfold.

Having trained for thousands of hours I have watched the magic of this method unfold before my eyes both in my work & in the work of my clients.

The beauty of Pilates is that once you understand the core of its philosophy, its movements can be translated into any format.. Over the years Pilates has taken on many different shapes & forms as it has passed from teacher to teacher. Some styles have taken on a genuinely therapeutic approach & are taught in a slower more deliberate manner,others have maintained an athletic & more dynamic approach focusing more on movement & rhythm For me its about tailoring the session for my clients needs, working on the machines and using small apparatus, combined with mat work & plenty of hands on stretching. This is why I strongly suggest a few private sessions to grasp the essence of the technique so that one can feel more confident about joining in a Pilates mat-work class. Pilates can & does change the way you relate to your body & the way you carry it into the world.”

Anne-Marie reminds us that Pilates is all about empowerment. “Joseph Pilates in his teachings made it clear that his method was meant to propel us forward to becoming responsible & in control of our bodies & our health. He sought to enlighten,invigorate & empower us.”

For private classes with Anne-Marie – either in her Pilates studio with full equipment or in a mat class in your private villa or retreat – please contact us info@ibizaretreats.com

What is the Pilates Method? (Written by Ana Santos, Pilates Method teacher)

The Pilates Method is a physical fitness system developed in the early 20th Century by Joseph Pilates. It is based on a set of principles and exercises engaging the mind (over 500 controlled exercises) which work the whole body in balance, coordinating the upper and lower musculature with the body’s center in order to re-align and strengthen the full body, as well as toning muscles and balancing muscular force at the joint level.

Joseph Pilates called the method The Art of Contrology, which refers to the way the method encourages the use of the mind to control the muscles. What makes the Method different from other body conditioning systems is that it takes a balanced approach so that no muscle group is overworked and the body works as an efficient, holistic system in sport and daily activity. Therefore, Pilates is a balanced blend of strength and flexibility training that improves posture, reduces stress and creates long, lean muscles without muscular bulk.

Based on proper breathing, good posture and intense concentration, the exercises are performed on a mat or with specially designed equipment and work several muscle groups simultaneously through smooth, continuous motion and with a particular concentration on strengthening and stabilizing the core or “Power House” (the abdomen, back and pelvic girdle region).

Focusing on breathing and support from deep within the abdomen, the practitioner develops a new way of standing and a more graceful way of moving “flowing motion outward from a strong center.”

As mentioned earlier, the regular practice of the Method stretches and strengthens the muscles uniformly resulting in long, sleek muscles rather than muscular bulk. In addition, by learning the proper stance and correct body alignment through the practice of Pilates, one soon feels and looks taller and leaner. Furthermore, as the focus in Pilates is on quality of movement rather than quantity, a Pilates session makes one feel invigorated rather than exhausted.

As both a rehabilitation and a wellness program, Pilates is a wonderful complement to physical therapy, chiropractic, massage therapy and many other therapeutic or physical fitness systems.

In particular, Pilates is used to rehabilitate spine problems. The method strengthens, lengthens, and balances spinal musculature, thereby aligning and decompressing injured vertebrae and helping to relieve nerve and disc pressure. This decompression also facilitates and stimulates healthy circulation to the damaged spinal tissue. Furthermore, the pelvic and spinal stabilization work also helps prepare the body for rehabilitation of other weak or damaged areas more effectively.

The effects of practising the Pilates Method start to be noticed in the short term, there is no need to spend a long time working out at the Gym. As Joseph Pilates stated:”In ten sessions you will feel the difference, in twenty sessions you will see the difference, in thirty you’ll have a whole new body.”

The Pilates Method not only will teach you that your body, taken as a whole, is the best and unique tool for being in excellent physical shape and it will change the way in which you relate to your body and face life, but also Pilates will help you to feel that true strength is in your mind.

If you wish to enjoy the multiple benefits from the Pilates Method, Ana Santos offers weekly Pilates MAT classes in small groups, private and semi-private sessions in Ibiza island. Tuition is available in both ENGLISH and SPANISH.

If you wish to get information about times and rates, please get in touch with us by e-mail at cheryl@ibizaretreats.com or by telephone on +34 648 914 706.